Helen Keller as a child

Helen Adams Keller was born, physically whole and healthy, in Tuscumbia, Alabama on June 27, 1880 in a white, frame cottage called "Ivy Green." Her father, Captain Arthur Keller, was the editor of a newspaper, and an influential figure in his own community. The illness that struck the infant Helen Keller and left her deaf and blind, was diagnosed as brain fever at the time; perhaps it was scarlet fever. People thought in those days that the disease left its victim an idiot. And as Helen Keller grew from infancy into childhood, wild, unruly, and with little real understanding of the world around her, this belief was seemingly confirmed. Before her illness at 18months old, she had just started to say a few words, but after it, she could not hear or see anything, and so she never started talking properly at all.

Who was Annie Sullivan?

Annie Sullivan was born in Feeding Hills, Massachusetts, on April 14, 1866, to Irish immigrants. Her early years was very hard, as her family was separated due to various illnesses. Anne, who suffered from eye problems, was sent to the state poorhouse when she was ten. The four years Anne spent there would prove to have a profound impact on the life she strove to make for herself. On October 7, 1880, Anne entered the Perkins Institution and Massachusetts School for the Blind in Boston. After several eye operations, Anne quickly progressed in school, gaining the respect of her teachers and fellow students. In 1886 Anne graduated from Perkins at the top of her class. Anne was then asked to travel to Tuscumbia, Alabama, to become the teacher of a deaf-blind child, Helen Keller. At first, Anne had her doubts, but she thought maybe she could help her, so in March of 1887 she travelled to Helen's home. Helen Keller was at that time just short of seven years old, and Anne Sullivan was 20.

Learning to communicate

As soon as Anne arrived at the Keller family estate, she began to spell into Helen's hand using the manual alphabet. That is a way of making signs with your fingers in someone else's hand, so they can feel what your fingers are doing. Normal sign language was no use with Helen, as she was blind as well as deaf.

Miss Sullivan began her task with a doll the children at Perkins had made for her to take to Helen. By spelling "d-o-l-l" into the child's hand, she hoped to teach her to connect objects with letters. Helen quickly learned to make the letters correctly, but did not know she was spelling a word, or that words existed. In the days that followed she learned to spell a great many more words in this uncomprehending way. One day she and "Teacher" (as Helen always called her) went to the outdoor pump. Miss Sullivan started to draw water and put Helen's hand under the spout. As the cool water gushed over one hand, she spelled into the other the word "w-a-t-e-r" first slowly, then rapidly. Suddenly, the signals had meaning in Helen's mind. She knew that "water" meant the wonderful cool something flowing over her hand. Quickly, she stopped and touched the earth and demanded its letter name and by nightfall she had learned 30 words.

This meant that finally people could communicate with Helen Keller. Before that, she was in a silent dark world of her own, and noone could reach her there. But now she could communicate with other people, and they could communicate with her. Anne Sullivan acted as Helen's teacher for the next thirteen years, beginning with spelling words into Helen's hand and working through the years to prepare Helen for higher education and university.

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Adult life

In 1900, Anne accompanied Helen to Radcliffe college, where Helen was the first deaf-blind individual to receive a bachelor of arts degree. Anne stayed with her as her close companion until she died in 1936. After than she had Polly to serve as a close friend and sighted companion. Helen kept studying and learning new things all her life, and recieved many honours from universities around the world. She learned to speak, and often spoke to groups, as well as writing books and articles. She wrote most frequently about blindness, deafness, socialism, social issues, and women's rights.

She used a braille typewriter to prepare her manuscripts and then copied them on a regular typewriter. She travelled the world and worked hard to better the lives of other people with sight and hearing problems.

All through her life, she kept reading Braille books, and talking to people with the help of her signing companions. Here you can see her listening to the vibrations of a radio on the left, and to music on the right. She can hear the vibrations through her fingertips.

After 1961, Helen Keller retired and lived quietly at her home. She saw her family, close friends, and associates from the American Foundation for the Blind and the American Foundation for Overseas Blind, and spent much time reading. Her favorite books were the Bible and volumes of poetry and philosophy. She died on June 1, 1968, at Arcan Ridge, a few weeks short of her 88th birthday.